


Sleep and Rainbows

by Tiger_Eye7429



Series: Self Indulgent Pjo/Sanders Sides fic [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Percy Jackson Fusion, Angst, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders Needs a Hug, Fluff, Gen, Headcanon, Kid Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Kid Dr. Emile Picani, Kid Sleep | Remy Sanders, Platonic Relationships, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 21:20:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29496435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tiger_Eye7429/pseuds/Tiger_Eye7429
Summary: Virgil didn’t know where he was. He was lost, and tired, and he missed his mom even though he was never going back to her and he's getting attacked every other minute and-He's lost.And then he's found.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Dr. Emile Picani, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Sleep | Remy Sanders, Dr. Emile Picani & Sleep | Remy Sanders
Series: Self Indulgent Pjo/Sanders Sides fic [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2166612
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	Sleep and Rainbows

**Author's Note:**

> Based on https://tigereye7429.tumblr.com/post/643221503595446272/sanders-sidespercy-jackson-crossover-right  
> First fic for a series that I probably won't finish! Hope y'all enjoy it!  
> This takes place instead of the Percy Jackson series- with different characters, twists, and monsters, most likely, though the actual fic takes place WELL before the plot, maybe 6 years before, when the characters are 12, while here Virgil is barely 6 years old.

Virgil didn’t know where he was. He- well, he could read. But not in the language that the rest of the world used, apparently.  _ Thanks, Mom. _

He’d seen- snippets of writing, but he could barely understand the other language when it was spoken. It wasn’t like his mother spoke to him much, in any language, really, but when she spoke it certainly wasn’t in any language the rest of the world used. Only the monsters. 

Monsters. Considering what he was- what he looked like, maybe he shouldn’t use the word so….  _ Liberally _ . Then again, it wasn’t like anyone else thought it was bad. He understood it was weird- no one  _ else _ had more than two eyes and venom. 

He’d seen and heard the language he knew- Greek- from the… others. Some before they tried to befriend them, like the tree spirits (dryads, they said they were called), that let him stay around in a forest for a day as long as he didn’t do anything bad- and in one instance chased away the satyrs- and some from the other creatures, like the one-eyed men that barely talked in any language but didn't bother him otherwise. 

He’d heard it from the bad ones too. The ones with snake legs that hissed his name or, gods forbid, his mother’s name before trying to pounce, or the animals that people ignored like him. The ones who fought for their places on the street, or the ones who hurt for fun. The ones that he had to fight with nothing but teeth and a handful of huge sharp bronze needles he’d stolen from his mom before running. 

So, he didn’t know where he was, and it was getting annoying. The gold coins that the monsters he  _ did _ kill dropped sometimes could tide him over most of the time for food- the amount he could get with a gold coin was apparently a lot- but he was still lost. Lost and cold even with the black hoodie he had, and tired. 

So tired. 

He was walking down the streets, feeling like a ghost when it changed. Well, not at first- at first it was like most close encounters with the kids who were aware of the monsters around, but not one themselves. 

With a shout and a pointy thing in his face as he was pressed against a wall, far away from other people. This time it was a dagger, which was a nice change of pace, rather than the usual sword. Still, usually, they’d let him go when they realized he was just a kid with multiple eyes who wouldn’t hurt them, and even if they didn’t he could usually getaway. 

This one was tall, though. Tall and older with sunglasses and a scowl. 

_ Arachne-  _ this kid was too old. Too old and too skilled and not someone he could fight, judging by the way he wouldn’t even  _ move _ when Virgil tried pushing him away, hissing out curses and threatening a bite. 

This one was… unaffected, by that. If anything, it made him angrier, shoving the knife closer, shutting Virgil up with the words but still hissing. Not that it was voluntary, at that point, cats hissed when they were scared and apparently spiders did too. 

Well. This was the end, he guessed. It was better than being with mom forever in the cave filled with tapestries, at least. Virgil closed his eyes and prepared-

A shout and the knife was dropped, clattering on the ground as the kid lowered his sunglasses. Another kid, this one with regular glasses dressed in pink and beige, had appeared and was gesturing to Virgil, talking too fast in a language he still couldn’t understand well. 

Then they both turned to him. 

Why was  _ that _ more intimidating than when a literal knife was pointed at him?! Sunglasses kid spoke to Virgil presumably, but he still couldn’t understand. 

“Um… re-can you repeat that? In Greek?”

Glasses kid nodded, “Of course kid, though we aren’t great at ancient greek,”

“We’re literally demigods, girl. We got this. So- you good? Didn’t realize you were…” He coughed, looking away. There was an awkward pause before he asked, “What’s up with the eyes? Never heard about you in the myths,”

Virgil shrunk in on himself as the glasses kid lightly slapped the kid on the shoulder, with a chastise, Virgil didn’t need to understand the words to know the tone, but it seemed more playful than actually mad. “Sorry- what he  _ means  _ is, what’s your name?”

“...Virgil?”

“Virgil huh? That’s a cool name kiddo! Well, mine is Emile,” he said, before pointing to sunglasses, “And this dummy is Remy,”

“Oh, um, hi?” ...another awkward pause. “Why did you stop attacking me?”

“Because… you’re a kid?” Remy said like it should be obvious, “Just didn’t realize till Emmy here pointed it out,”

“Oh. Why-“ Virgil bit his lip, but with Emile’s encouraging nod, Virgil continued, “Why are you guys so- different? Like- uh… from the monsters,” Disregarding himself, of course. You guys are normal… but like, normal people- they don’t…  _ see... _ “

Remy and Emile seemed to look at each other for a second, this time not even speaking in the other language, instead just through facial expressions and gestures. Eventually, they just nodded to each other, and Remy spoke. “We’d love to answer that- but it’s getting pretty late… you wanna come with us and we’ll explain then?”

“...ok,”

It was nicer, around a small fire in the forest instead of just… under a log or something. Especially when there were other people with him that weren’t just dryads who were kinda uncomfortable around guys. 

They explained. Everything began to  _ click _ . The mist- the children of the gods. 

“Wait- so… who’s Athena?”

“You’re telling me you don’t know  _ Zeus _ but you know  _ Athena? _ ” Remy snickered, “Nice. He would be so pissed to know that,”

Emile rolled his eyes, though he was smiling, “Yes, well, Athena is a goddess. The goddess of wisdom and war tactics,”

“And useful crafts,”

“Yes, and that!”

Virgil blinked, “...really? Thought she would be worse...”

“Worse? Whatcha mean kid?” 

Virgil shrugged, “The way mom made it out, it was like she was a- well… I dunno, a villain! Bad person! The worst! But she’s just… a Goddess. Of wisdom. That doesn’t sound bad...”

“She is known for being… ah,” Emile glanced at the sky nervously, “Let’s just say… prideful?” Remy shrugged,

“Woman’s kinda… touchy, I guess. Dishes out pretty bad punishments for insults- rule number one of life: Don’t insult the gods, obviously, but the two you _definitely_ don't insult are Zeus and Athena. Medusa is one example, girl was lost in the sauce. 'Nother one was Arachne who insulted her weaving skills. Anyone who touched her shrines was as good as gone,”

Virgil stiffened, at the mention of his mother. Emile noticed, and seemed to put the pieces together. 

“Wait- don’t tell me- you’re the son of Arachne aren’t you?”

Virgil shrunk into himself, but still nodded, “...Yeah...”

Remy startled, “You can  _ do _ that? Damn. That does explain the eyes, though, huh. Well, I’m the son of Morpheus, God of dreams,”

“I’m the- well, we all  _ assume _ I’m the son of the Goddess Iris, but she rarely claims her kids...”

“Oh. I’m sorry,” Virgil said, not understanding. “Who’s Iris?”

Emile smiled and talked about the messenger goddess. It devolved into a talk about the gods, then about the monsters, then about their friends, camp, and then just…  _ talk _ . Not about anything. Just jokes and stumbling over ancient Greek words. 

Virgil half expected them to have disappeared by the next day, but they were still there, awake and waiting for him to wake up, apparently. 

They were on a quest, they said, something about a sphinx and a pitcher. They asked if he would join them- 

“Just long enough that we can explain the rest,” Remy explained with a grin, “And maybe get a coffee, it’s been  _ so _ long,”

Virgil agreed. The two bantered and laughed and exchanged myths and stories. There was a run-in with a small pack of dogs that spoke in human voices, the hyena-like things that Virgil helped kill with his needles that they were  _ impressed _ by. 

They taught him. English, the language was called. Emile taught him the basics of the spoken word, and Virgil practically begged Remy, secretly, at night, when Emile was sleeping, to trace the letters in the dirt. Remy taught Virgil to read practically overnight, and Emile was _very_ surprised in the best of ways. 

They never told Virgil that there were literally hundreds of thousands of myths, but Virgil figured it out. He figured it out in the way Emile took time to answer grammar questions instead of greek ones. Figured it out in the way Remy laughed at his face when he first tasted caffeine and figured it out when they pooled their money to buy something to cover his extra eyes the day after venting about how he hated them. Figured it out through the jokes and the laughter and the bond they made. 

He didn’t figure it out, exactly, how many myths there were, but as he grinned alongside the other two, Virgil figured that he was staying. 

At least, they assumed he would be. 

…

It was the Lamia that got them. 

Virgil hadn’t seen a Lamia before. Thank Arachne, he would’ve been long dead if he had. But it came now- at night, with the fire dimly lighting the trees. They’d already received the pitcher, held safe within a large bag, and heading back to camp half-blood. They were taking Virgil back with them. Taking him back so that they could explain- taking him back so they could stay friends, really, but at this point, the idea of them explaining was a little game. 

Virgil spoke in English, now that it had been a week or so, and he’d gotten pretty good at it. 

“And  _ then _ my Mom-” Virgil paused. Remy had gone to investigate a sound a few minutes ago. It hadn’t been the first time that Remy had done this, and it was rarely ever a monster. But it had been once, so they always did it. 

“...Your Mom..?”

“Oh- uh, sorry... Remy?”

Emile looked into the bushes where Remy disappeared to, grimacing, “...Yeah, you’re right, he should’ve been back by now,”

“Should we…?”

“...Give him another minute. It’s probably nothing,” Emile muttered, “Or, he doesn’t need the distraction,”

Virgil nodded. They sat in silence for a few moments, before the sounds of a scuffle got louder and louder, until Remy burst out of the foliage, panting, with cuts littering his arms and legs, pointing his daggers out, sunglasses perched on his head so he could see or, possibly, send the victim to sleep. 

“Guys-  _ run- _ ” was all he could manage out before- a naga burst out of the same place, snarling and hissing, clawing hands swiping, snapping with sharpened fangs. 

Wait. 

That wasn’t a naga. 

Virgil watched in horror as a Lamia, a woman with the lower half of a snake, attacked his friend. Sharp fangs glinted in the firelight, and slitted eyes slid over the pair before focusing back on Remy, the half-second filling Virgil with ice. They- A  _ Lamia  _ wasn’t something Virgil could face. Judging by Emile’s expression and how Remy was doing, it wasn’t something they could face on their own either. 

Remy couldn’t get in a hit, but he was  _ getting _ hit. Emile spent no time conjuring a small light to shine in its eyes to distract the Lamia while pulling out his own sword, directing the attention away from his friend. Virgil was powerless to do anything other than throwing needles, but the scales were too tough and the rest of the body too quick for him to land a hit. 

The Lamia taunted them, in between hisses and hits, and eventually, the three resorted to distracting and running, Remy stunning her with the powers of sleep he barely had any control over for just a second, a second they took to run. 

Virgil would fall behind- it wasn’t a secret, he was tiny and barely even six, and the other two were trained heroes. 

Emile seemed to come to that realization at the same time as Remy did, them both nodding to each other in the same way they did the first time Virgil met them. Emile turned to Virgil as Remy ducked back around, and the fighting resumed, a useless endeavor, something that he wouldn’t be able to beat, they knew. Emile stopped and spoke, in the same voice he did at the beginning, mixed with a touch of hysteric fear. 

“Alright Virgil, this is what we’re going to do. Remy and I are going to distract Lamia while you run, alright? Then we will meet you at camp, alright?”

“W-what?” Virgil looked back, but Emile crouched down in front of him instead and put a hand on his shoulder, a telltale glimmer showing he was making sure whatever Remy was doing, he wouldn’t be able to see. The sound would carry over, of course, but… it was the thought that counted. 

“Don’t- don’t look back. Just run, and meet us at camp? Remy was teaching you how to read- so you can find your way back with a-a map, alright Virgil? You remember where we said the camp was?”

“I- um, 3.141 Farm road-” A hurried look back to Remy, after a shout. Virgil’s words became a touch hurried, “Long Island, New York?”

“Nice job, kiddo. Alright- good. Meet us at camp we’ll see you there!” Emile turned, drawing a sword.

“Pr-”

Emile nodded, “I promise! See you soon kiddo,”

Virgil nodded, cracking a shaky smile at Emile before turning to run. He didn't look back, only covering his ears when he heard a scream, desperately hoping it was Lamia, knowing it wasn’t. 

He just ran. 

…

“Excuse me,” Virgil tugged on a stranger’s sleeve, a mother, and waited for the daze that would never fully leave her eyes clear enough to see him. She blinked once, twice, before he asked, “Um- where are we?”

“Well, ah, we’re in Creve Coeur, um, where-” Virgil walked off, information gained, not even looking back, knowing for a fact that she would forget. The mist, he’d found out, was particularly strong for him... She wouldn’t even realize she’d talked to him. 

It didn’t matter. Virgil knew where he was- Creve Coeur, which was quite a ways away from New York, but he’d get there. 

He was able to talk to people. He was able to read. 

He wouldn’t be lost anymore. 

**Author's Note:**

> Ok first off- Emile and Remy do NOT die, but it's close. They do eventually get to CHB, but not before Virgil gets there. It's Scary for him but they do reunite in the end, but they take, like, another month, which is crazy because Virgil takes multiple months. They end up in this sheltering place while they heal which is probably with some of the vine characters- probably Teal and Princy or something (and Remy ends up having to wear his glasses for more than one reason). They both end up fine though!  
> EDIT: so I think I might've lied :D
> 
> Remy did give Virgil his eyeshadow and he never takes it off. It's dark enough that no one can see his eyes when they're closed, and Virgil gets the container blessed by the Aphrodite kids so that it never runs out- which I headcanon the Aphrodite kids can do, but only for makeup products. Virgil always has the thing on him and it becomes a grounding thing for him, along with his needles. 
> 
> Emile is Patton's cousin and Patton has adopted some of his mannerisms and habits, which is a trip for Virgil when he first meets them because this kid is SO familiar WHY. 
> 
> Virgil's needles are made of celestial bronze and he stole them from Arachne before he left. He keeps them wound up with silk he made and it's in one of his pockets. 
> 
> Here's my Tumblr: https://tigereye7429.tumblr.com/


End file.
